Police chiefs in South Yorkshire have given permission for the Independent Police Complaints Commission to retrieve documents held by the force’s insurer relating to the miners’ strike at Orgreave.

The watchdog is carrying out a ‘scoping exercise’ around the policing of the strike in the mid 1980s when officers and picketers notoriously clashed.

Arthur Scargill, president of the National Union of Minersworkers during the strike, was famously arrested at the ‘Battle of Orgreave’.

South Yorkshire Police referred the matter to the IPCC and a decision is awaited on whether any matters call for investigation and whether they are capable of investigation given the passage of time.

A spokeswoman said: “The IPCC previously requested the documents as part of its scoping exercise around policing during the Orgreave miners’ strike.

“The force did not physically possess these documents. They were previously held by the force’s insurers at the time, and the firm acting for the force’s current insurers had them in their possession and has now given their consent for them to be released.

“South Yorkshire Police voluntarily referred the matter to the IPCC and is committed to working with them ensure an open, honest and transparent process.”